Auron could almost hear Jecht barking a laugh and making an inappropriate comment about compensating as he resisted the chuckle that dared to bubble up in his chest. He was sure the Moogles did indeed make up for their lack of size and strength in other ways, but he would not be the one to comment on that. They would most likely find out soon enough, after all, and hopefully for the better and not the worst. At the very least, Setro seemed as cautious as he himself felt. Though their stature was small and their appearances were … nothing short of hopelessly adorable, much like the stuffed animal Auron was used to seeing, strange and confusing power could certainly come from such tiny things.

The Guardian paused alongside the knight, watching with guarded interest as their guides stopped and began to focus on something invisible before them. A light briefly emerged from their tiny arms, and from that came a glowing path. Auron’s gaze fell upon intricate designs that felt obviously foreign and meant nothing to him, but were captivating all the same. The moogles warned them to watch their own step, and before Setro could question their words, the flying creatures flew away into nothingness; vanishing from sight.

Auron gave the spot where the Moogles had just been a long, languid blink, his dark eye glancing to the knight as Setro joked about being humbled. The Guardian gave a short snort in an agreeable response, before turning his attention back to the magical, hidden path. Now, they would be forced into giving complete, blind trust to these strangers – creatures of the very forest that was known for tricking, confusing, and even killing its unwelcome occupants.

“A gateway, I presume,” Auron mumbled, taking a cautious step forward, stopping just before where the creatures disappeared. It wouldn’t be the first time he had, as they said, leapt before thinking. Though it wasn’t his preferred method for doing things, in some cases, one had little choice but to trust not only in those guiding them, but in their own skills should they pop out on the other side of the unknown and find trouble waiting. Thoughtful, the guardian traced a line in the fallen leaves before the path with his boot, “ … What’s a little more trouble for one day?”

With that, Auron stepped forward into the unknown.

Greeting the two warriors was a land of in-between. Ahead them, bobbing along in the air as if they had never left, were Hurdy and Gurdy, heading toward another set of trees. Auron turned his head to glance backwards, seeing the two trees he had just walked between – yet the rest of the forest seemed so far behind them. The area in front of the warriors and around them was dark, seemingly nothingness, lit by nothing but glowing fairy lights and shimmering crystals. The end of the path, where Hurdy and Gurdy were waiting, was adorned in more of the intricate moogle arts they had seen before.

As Auron took a step forward, the inky blackness of the ground beneath them glowed suddenly beneath his boots. The illuminations were beautiful, intricate golden swirls, an unknown language perhaps, with leaves, flowers, and mushrooms floating around each letter. With each step the men took, another glowing step appeared beneath their feet, guiding them to their destination. In the darkness around them, Auron noticed as he dared a glance, haunting eyes that seemed to have no bodies, watched their footfalls with keen interest – as if daring them to make one false step in the wrong direction.

Hurdy and Gurdy waved as they approached the next gateway of trees, disappearing between them with little effort from their tiny wings. Auron, unnerved by the stares of unknown creatures he couldn’t fully see, had less qualms following the moogles into the gateway.

The warriors would next find themselves in a realm of sunshine, so very different from the shaded forest and the dark path they had just taken. Auron shielded his eye with a gloved hand for a moment as his vision adjusted, taking in what he could of the village.

While they were still in the woods, the trees looked so very different from those they had previously seen. The leaves were lush and green, foliage thick and yet not blocking the deep rays of the sun. Small huts adorned the tree tops, where other Moogles floated and flew to and fro. Other small huts were on ground level, though much less, where some Moogles were bouncing happily on giant mushrooms. Along the paths in the village were large, beautiful flower blooms of all different colors, shapes, and sizes.

It looked like something out of a children’s book. A fairytale Auron had only ever heard described in childlike wonder in Zanarkand. A dream within a dream.